Governor Rick Perry Fills State Staff Positions and Promotes an ACU Grad

Governor Rick Perry today announced the filling of prominent staff positions for the Governor's Office.  Jeff Boyd, an ACU graduate, is the governor's new chief of staff and David Morales is the new general counsel. He also named Allison Castle communications director, Josh Havens deputy press secretary, and Jonathan Hurst director of Budget, Planning and Policy.

Boyd most recently served as general counsel for the Governor’s Office. Prior to that, he was a senior partner at Thompson & Knight in Austin, where he began his legal career in 1992 and became a partner in 1998. In 2000, he was appointed by then-Attorney General John Cornyn as Deputy Attorney General in charge of Civil Litigation and continued to serve in that position under General Abbott until he returned to Thompson & Knight in 2003.

Boyd is a member of the Texas Supreme Court Rules Advisory Committee, past president and board member of Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, and past chair and board member of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas. He received a bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University and a law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. Boyd lives in Austin with his wife, Jackie. They are parents to twin daughters, Hanna and Abbie, and a son, Carter.

Rick Perry is the longest serving governor in Texas history and his current term expires in 2014.